Gasoline dispensing nozzles



April 26, 1960 J. A. FRISE GASOLINE DISPENSING NOZZLES Filed June 4. 1958 INVENTOR JOHN APTHL/E TIP/5L ATTORNEY-5 United States Patent GASOLINE DISPENSING NOZZLES John Arthur Frise, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor,

by mesne assignments, to Gilbert & Barker Manufacturing Company, West Springfield, Mass., at corporation of Massachusetts Application June 4, 1958, Serial No. 739,819

6 Claims. (Cl. 141-208) The present invention relates to liquid dispensing nozzles for gasoline and the like and more particularly it relates to improvements in nozzles of the type wherein the nozzle is locked in an open position with automatic means being provided to shut the nozzle off in the absence of an operator.

A wide variety of nozzles of this type are available with vacuum actuated automatic shut-off means and are extensively used for dispensing gasoline to enable the attendant to perform other duties with the assurance that the gasoline will not overflow. However, a danger exists in using these nozzles in that should the nozzle fall, be knocked or inadvertently removed from a gasoline tank fill pipe with the nozzle locked open there is great danger of substantial gasoline spillage which would create a serious fire or explosion hazard. i

There are, at the present time, safety devices available its assembled position as shown in Fig. 1. The hollow which prevent gasoline spillage under the circumstances 7 described. These devices are, in one way or another based on a secondary control including an air seal for the vacuum shut-01f means which is actuated by means responsive to proper insertion of the nozzle in a fill pipe. While these safety devices are theoretically quite workable, air seals are difficult to maintain and break down after a relatively small amount of wear. Thus safety devices dependent on air seals are lacking in a long wear life and in most cases failure of the air seal results in failure of the safety device in a manner not detectable to the operator.

It is therefore the object of this invention to provide a liquid dispensing nozzle having improved safety means for automatically shutting off the flow of liquid upon withdrawal of the nozzle from the fill pipe of a container, and in so doing to overcome some of the difiiculties inherent in presently available safety devices.

A characteristic feature of the invention is found in the use of a liquid seal in a secondary safety control for vacuum actuated shut-off means of nozzles of the type referred to, such liquid seal being relatively unaffected by wear of any moving parts and in the case of wear the liquid seal means are arranged to fail safe that is if the safety means of the present invention fail from wear, the nozzle is rendered inoperative so that the operator is cognizant of the safety devices failure.

The above and other related objects of this invention will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawings which are part of this specification: Fig. 1 is a side elevation and partially in longitudinal section of a dispenisng nozzle embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of Fig. 1, partially in section, showing details of the safety means of this invention. I

The nozzle to be described may best be seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Certain constructional details thereof are identical with the disclosure seen in Fig. 8 of U .S. Patent No. 2,786,493, and reference is made thereto if body 10 provides a passageway for the flow of gasoline from the delivery hose to the spout 14 as controlled by a valve 16. Valve '16 is seated in the body passageway by a coil spring 17 normally preventing gasoline flow therethrough. Check valve 18 is also seated in this body passageway by coil spring 19 to prevent reverse flow of gasoline through the body passage. Valve 16 may be opened to unseated by a hand lever 20 pivoted about a pin 24. To open the valve 16, lever 20 is raised to engage a stem 26 slidably mounted in the body 10 with its inward end engaging rocker 28. The lever 20 may be held in raised position by a latch 29 pivotally mounted on lever guard 31 permitting the attendant to perform other duties while gasoline is being dispensed.

The rocker 28 is pivoted about a pin 30 to engage and unseat the valve 16 permitting gasoline to flow there through. Pin 30 extends between bifurcated portions of a saddle 32 which is slidably mounted in the internal passageway through body 10 for movement in a direct-ion normal thereto; A cap 34 is secured to the body 10 above saddle 32 and provides a seat for a coil spring 36 which normally holds saddle 32 in its lower position (as seen in Fig. l). A diaphragm 38 is held in place and sealed at its marginal edge portion between cap 34 and body 10 and the edge portion of a central opening in the diaphragm 38 is sealed against a stem 40 extending upwardly from the saddle 32. An airtight chamber 39 is thus formed between the cap 34 and the diaphragm 38. A portion of the body passageway is concially shaped to provide a seat for valve 16 and a venturi throat at 41. A passageway 42 is compositely formed in the body 10 and cap 34 between the venturi throat 41 and the chamber 39 and another passageway 44 is provided from chamber 39 to open into an air tube 46 which extends interiorly of and downward within the spout 14. The lower end of tube 46 communicates with a hollow screw member 47 which provides an opening 50 through the wall of spout 14 near its lower end. Passageway 44 and tube 46 forming a. suction passage from chamber 39 to the atmosphere;

When the nozzle is in use the flow of gasoline through venturi throat 41 causes a reduction of pressure at valve seat 16 and air is drawn from chamber 39. The air in chamber 39 is maintained substantially at atmospheric pressure, however, since the chamber 39 is openor vented to the atmosphere by tube 46 and spout hole 50. Whenever a receiving tank is being filled and liquid seals hole 50, a vacuum or reduced pressure is created in chamber 39 allowing the fluid pressure in hollow body' 10 to raise the diaphragm 38 against the force of spring 36 and thereby raising saddle 32. Rocker arm 28 will thus be drawn upwardly allowing valve 16 to be seated by valve spring 17, thus automatically shutting off the flow' of liquid through the nozzle. Thereafter latch 29 may be pivoted to release lever 20, spring 36 will then lower saddle 32 to its illustrated force transmitting position and the nozzle will again be ready for use. w The safety device of this invention is best seen in the enlarged showing of Fig. 2. The device comprises a short tube or cylinder 51 mounted interiorly of the nozzle spout 14 secured at one end to air tube 46 as by brazing or the like. The air tube 46 is suitably apertured to communicate with the interior of cylinder 51. Cylinder 51 is itself apertured intermediate its length at 56 with a shroud 57 surrounding the aperture andUdimam-pa:

rected upstream of fluid flow through the spout. The,

cylinder 51 thus provides for. communication between the suction passageway tube 46 and the interior of spout 14 through aperture56. A piston'58 is slidablewithin cylinder 51 and is urged towards theouteror-normal positionshown in Fig. 1 by a coil spring; Itv will be noted that the aperture in tube 46 is somewhat less than the bore of cylinder 51 thus providing a seat forspring 60. A piston rod 62 extends from the outerend of piston.58 through and beyond a plug or bushing 59 and terminates exteriorly of spout 14. It will be seen that plug 59 is threaded onto the outer end of'cylinder 51 and is flanged to bear against the spout :14 to provide a liquid sea] at this point. Further, an O ring- 61. surrounds. the piston rod 62 to prevent leakage therearound as itrpass'es through the plug 59 The terminalend of rod 62 engages an arcuate central portion of-a leaf spring 68 which is secured at one'end to the spout14 by a screw 69. The other end of spring 68 is slidably received within a channel member 70 also secured to spout 14.,

When the spout 14 is inserted downwardly intoa fill pipe P as in Fig. 2 piston 58 is displaced inwardly to seal ofi the aperture 56 either by the weight of the nozzle bearing against the upper edge of the fill pipe or the wedging action resulting from the spent ,14 and leaf spring 68 being snugly held in the'openingthrough the fill pipe. More particularly leaf spring68 is progressively flattened during insertion to force piston rod 62 and piston 58 inwardly against the action of; coil spring 60 to close aperture 56. With piston 58 in this position the air tube 46 is opened to the atmosphere through. opene ing 50 at the lower end of spout 14 and the nozzleopand comprising vacuum. actuated shut-01f. means/having suction passage-forming means including a tube extending longitudinally of said discharge spout and opening adjacent the lower end of said discharge spout, said shut-cit means being operative in response to said passageway means being'se'aledfrom atmosphere to automaticallyshut. 011 the flow of liquidthrough said nozzle and means/operative in response to'inadverte'nt removal of the nozzle from'a fill pipev while liquid is beingdis pensed for injecting suflici'ent liquid in said tube to seal said passagewaymeans from atmosphere and thereby actuate said automatic shut-off means.

3. A liquid dispensing nozzle having a discharge spout and comprising vacuum actuating shut-off means having suction passageway forming-means including a tube extending longitudinally of said discharge spout and opening adjacent the lower end of said discharge spout, said shut-off means being 'operativein response to said passageway means'being sealed from atmosphere to automatically shut off the flow of liquid throughsaid nozzle and means disposed adjacent the upper end of said, spout for creating a liquid seal insaid tube to seal the passageway means from atmosphere and thus actuate said automatic means, said last-named means including means normally biased to permit liquid to flow from said sp'outto said tube and thus create 'said liquid' seal and displace able upon proper insertion into a fill pipe 'to prevent theliquid seal from beingcreated and thereby pererates to dispense liquid until opening 50 is. closed otf by the liquid in the receiving tank.

If the spout is inadvertently removed from thefill pipe P, spring 60 forces piston 58 outwardly to uncover aperture 56, leaf spring 68 being restored to. its, normal condition seen in Fig. 1. If liquid is being automatically discharged from the nozzle when this occurs; a portion of the liquid will enter the suction passageway tube 46 through the upwardly opening aperture 56'. Thiszliquid injected in the tube 46 will effectively block or. seal chamber from the atmosphere and. a vacuum or reduced pressure will be created in that chamber by the action of venturi 41 causing the nozzle to be cutoff in the man ner heretofore described.

I It will be thus noted that in this safety'device a vac-1 uum is produced in chamber 39 when air tube 46 is blocked or sealed by liquid injection, piston 58 operating .for the purpose of admitting the liquid into tube 46. It is therefore apparent that since a liquid seal is created, a slightly weakened spring 60 or worn piston 58 will not prevent the operation of this safety device as long as liquid is able to enter air tube 46 through aperture 56. Further, wear is minimized by reason of the constant lubrication provided for the piston 58 by gasoline and like products flowing through the spout- 14. Another point to be noted is that thepresent device is a fail safe arrangement. That is, if the piston 58 should wear and become inoperative, liquid will flow .into tube 46 even when the spout is properly inserted in the fill pipe as indicated in Fig. 2. Therefore the .nozzle isrendered inoperative if the safety device is' not working.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A liquid dispensing nozzle comprising vacuumactuated shut-01f means including suction. passagewayforming means, said shut-off means being operative in responseto said passageway means being sealed-from atmosphere to automatically shut oil? the flow of liquid throughv said'j nozzle, and means operative :in responseto inadvertent removal of the nozzle from a.fill.pipewhile liquid is being dispensed for injecting sufficientliq uid into-said passagewayto seal sa'nie'from'latmosphere and thereby actuate saidautornatic: shut-01f 'nieans'...v

mitting normal operation of the properly inserted no'zzle;

4. A liquid dispensing nozzle having a discharge spout and comprising vacuum actuated shut-0E means having suction passageway-forming means including a tube-extending longitudinally of said discharge spout and'ope'ning. adjacent the lower end of said discharge'spout, said shutoff means being operative in response to said' pas sageway means being sealed from atmosphere to automatically shut off the flow of liquid through said nozzle means providing communication between the interior of said spout and said tube, and valve means movable to seal off said last-named means and prevent communication between said tube' and said spout, spring means normally urging said valve means to a'position permitting such communication and means responsive to proper insertion of the "spout in a fill pipe for displacing said'valve to seal ofi said communication means whereby the nozzle will operate in a normal manner to dispense liquid and if inadvertently removed 'from'the fill pipe, the valve means will be'automatically moved by said spring means to permit flow of liquid into said tube thereby sealing off said shut-off means from atmosphere and stopping the flow of liquid.

5. A liquid dispensing nozzle having a discharge spout and comprising'vacuum actuated shut-oi? means having suction passageway-forming means including a tube extending longitudinally of said discharge spout and open ing adjacent the lower end of said discharge spout, saidshut-off means being operative in. response to said pas sageway means being sealed from atmosphere to automatically shut 05 the flow of liquid through said nozzle; a cylinder communicating'at one end into said tube and secured at its other end to said spout, said cylinder having an opening intermediate its length whereby'the interior of said nozzle may be placed in communcation with said tube, a valve piston slidable in said chamber between a normal position outwardly of said cylinder opening and. an operative position, wherein said valve seals off said opening preventing communication between said spout and said tube, spring means biasing said valve to its normal position. and means responsive to proper positioning of said spout in a fill pipe. for displacingfsaid valve to its operative position. whereby a properly-in- ,sertedv nozzle may be operated to dispense liquid, and upon. removal. while liquid'is being dispensed liquid will flow. f'romsaid spout intosaid tubeito provide-a liquid seal between 's'aid"passageway-forming means and atinosq phere to thus automatically actuate said shut-0E means.

6. A liquid dispensing nozzle as in claim 5 wherein the means responsive to proper insertion of the spout in the fill pipe comprise a stem extending from said valve piston through the wall of said spout and outwardly thereof and a defiectable leaf spring secured to the spout at a point spaced downwardly from said stem and armately passing over said stem, the upper end of said leaf spring being slidably captured at a point above said stem.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

